Description: spkul8tor store 1920 SONGS OF BILITIS PIERRE LOUYS PRIVATE PRINTING LOUYS, Pierre (Translator) "THE SONGS OF BILITIS" Paris. Parnassian Society. 1920. Octavo (6.5 inches x 9.5 inches) 169 pp. + contents. #137 of 300 copies. Bound in half tan cloth over light blue boards. Boards well soiled and worn on the edges. Some pages irregularly opened. Overall, good. ________________ The Songs of Bilitis (French: Les Chansons de Bilitis) is a collection of erotic poetry by Pierre Louys and published in Paris in 1894 (see 1894 in poetry). The book's sensual poems are in the manner of Sappho; the introduction claims they were found on the walls of a tomb in Cyprus, written by a woman of Ancient Greece called Bilitis, a courtesan and contemporary of Sappho, to whose 'life' Louys dedicated a small section of his book. On publication, the volume deceived even the most expert of scholars. Though the poems were actually clever fabulations, authored by Louys himself, they are still considered important literature. Louys claimed the 143 prose poems, excluding 3 epitaphs, were entirely the work of this ancient poet- a place where she poured both her most intimate thoughts and most public actions, from childhood innocence in Pamphylia to the loneliness and chagrin of her later years. Although for the most part The Songs of Bilitis is original work, many of the poems in the collection were reworked epigrams from the Palatine Anthology, and Louys even borrowed some verses from Sappho herself. The poems themselves are a blend of mellow sensuality and polished style in the manner of the Parnassian school, but underneath run subtle Gallic undertones which Louys could never escape. To give authenticity to the forgery, Louys listed some poems as "untranslated" in the index; he even craftily fabricated an entire section of his book called "The Life of Bilitis", crediting a certain fictional archaeologist Herr G. Heim ("Mr. S. Ecret") as the discoverer of Bilitis' tomb. And though Lou??s displayed great knowledge of ancient Greek culture, ranging from children's games in "Tortie Tortue" to application of scents in "Perfumes", the poems were eventually exposed as a literary fraud. This did little to taint their literary value in the eyes of the readers, however, and Louys open and sympathetic celebration of lesbian sexuality earned him sensation and historic significance. Please email any questions. andale andalesell Payment Options: PayPal Shipping Options: Weight based Shipping Charges. USPS Priority Mail, USPS Media Mail, USPS Parcel Post, USPS Express Mail, USPS Priority Mail International, USPS Express Mail International I will ship to: USA and following regions : Canada, Europe, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, United Kingdom [Weight]: 3 lbs. 8 oz. Shipping and Handling: Winning Bidder: Click button on right to checkout now. andale andalecheckout Get more for your items with eBay Market Research. Truly Affordable Sales Automation. Try the Vendio Platform FREE. Truly Affordable Sales Automation. Try the Vendio Platform FREE. Over 100,000,000 served. Get FREE counters from Vendio today! Your browser does not support JavaScript. To view this page, enable JavaScript if it is disabled or upgrade your browser.
Price: 89.99 USD
Location: Los Angeles, California
End Time: 2024-11-16T21:32:49.000Z
Shipping Cost: 6.88 USD
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All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Binding: Hardcover
Subject: Literature & Fiction
Printing Year: 19200000
Topic: Poetry
Origin: English
